Bilateral erector spinae plane blocks in children undergoing cardiac surgery: A randomized, controlled study

We aimed to test the hypothesis that erector spinae plane block (ESPB) provides efficient analgesia and reduces postoperative morphine consumption in children undergoing cardiac surgery with median sternotomy. A prospective, blinded, randomized, controlled study. A tertiary university hospital, operating room and intensive care unit. Forty children aged 2–10 years, who underwent cardiac surgery with median sternotomy. The patients were randomly divided into the block group (Group B) and the control group (Group C). Group B (n = 20) were treated with ultrasound-guided bilateral ESPB at the level of the T4-T5 transverse process, whereas no block was administered in Group C (n = 20). In all children, intravenous morphine at 0.05 mg/kg was used whenever the modified objective pain score (MOPS) ≥4 for postoperative analgesia. The MOPS and Ramsay sedation score (RSS) were assessed at 0, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 20 and 24 h postoperatively. Total morphine consumption at 24 h, extubation time and length of intensive care unit (ICU) stay was also evaluated and recorded. Bilateral ESPB significantly decreased the consumption of morphine in the first 24 h, postoperatively. During the postoperative 24-h follow-up, 11 children in Group C requested morphine and the cumulative dose of morphine was 0.83 ± 0.91 mg, while 4 children in Group B requested morphine and the cumulative dose of morphine was 0.26 ± 0.59 mg (p = 0.043). There was no significant difference between Groups B and C in terms of MOPS and RSS values, extubation time or length of ICU stay. Ultrasound-guided bilateral ESPB with bupivacaine provides efficient postoperative analgesia and reduces postoperative morphine consumption at 24 h in children undergoing cardiac surgery. •Postoperative analgesia for pediatric cardiac surgery has been a contentious issue for years•We examined the analgesic effect of erector spinae plane block in children undergoing sternotomy•Erector spinae plane block provided efficient postoperative analgesia as indicated by Modified Objective Pain Scores•Erector spinae plane block reduced morphine consumption after surgery